Gluten-Free Mozzarella Bites

Gluten-Free Mozzarella Bites are easy to whip up at home. These crispy, ooey-gooey bites are great for game day, kids’ sleepovers, or anytime you’re craving a cheesy treat!

Well, you’re either going to love me or hate me for this. Mozzarella Bites you can make at home with just 10 minutes of active cooking time. Crispy on the outside, ooey-gooey on the inside. Did I mention they’re super easy and practically fool proof? Sorry not sorry my friend, you HAVE to try these!!

I never knew how much I liked fried foods until I couldn’t order them at restaurants anymore. Not that I normally crave fried food (in fact, I think I went at least 5 years without eating anything breaded and deep fried after trying TGI Friday’s fried green beans once in a moment of weakness. Vomit.) but we always want what we can’t have, right? Most restaurants fry gluten-containing foods like breaded calamari in the same frier as gluten-free foods like french fries, so they become contaminated once they hit the oil. Bummer.

No problemo though as it’s easy to fry food at home, and you don’t even need a FryDaddy to do it!

Did anyone else grow up with a Fry Daddy, by the way? It’s like a big, deep bucket of oil you clean only when you can’t remember the last time you cleaned it, and it’s used to fry everything from chicken nuggets to onion strings, or – my Dad’s specialty – biscuit donuts that he’d roll in cinnamon sugar on special Sunday mornings. Sweet, sweet sugar-crusted memories! Yikes.

Anyway, we’re going deeply savory today and you only need a couple inches of oil heated in a pot to make these hot and crispy, stretchy Mozzarella Bites. Ben and I refused to count the extremely small number that were left after making the last test batch, lest we acknowledge how many molten mozzarella bites we ate between the two of us. Let’s just say, I should have namastayed at the yoga studio I took a class at prior to whipping up these bites to burn off a few more calories. That said, balance, people! Salads and yoga today, hot and crispy gluten-free Mozzarella Bites tomorrow. It’s all good!

Ok, so I’m sure you need zero help crafting an excuse to whip up your own mozzarella bites at home, but here are a few of my ideas just in case:

Game day. March Madness is coming, people!

Slumber parties. Be the cool mom who serves fresh mozzarella bites to your kids and their friends!

Anytime you’re craving cheesy comfort food. My 4 ingredient (plus water and salt) mozzarella bites absolutely slay the store-bought competition. I just tried to count the number of ingredients in a “healthy” frozen mozzarella bite option and went cross eyed before I could finish.

Ready? Ok! Let’s do this!

Start by cutting 6 mozzarella string cheese sticks into 6 equal pieces each. I cut each one in half, then cut each half into thirds. By the way, I have to tell you, Ben worked at Pizza Hut during college (true story) and said stuffed crust pizza is just a regular ball of dough stretched super thin then the outside is rolled around string cheese sticks. I feel cheated somehow…right?

Next, set up your breading station. In one bowl add 1/4 cup gluten-free flour (I used King Arthur Flour GF flour.) In a second bowl whisk together 2 eggs + 2 Tablespoons water. In a third bowl add 2 cups gluten-free breadcrumbs then generously season with salt and stir to combine. I used finely ground Rice Chex, but you could use stale GF bread, store-bought bread crumbs, etc.

Working with 4 bites at a time, roll in the flour then tap any excess off. Drop the bites into the egg mixture then use a fork to coat, and then transfer to the breadcrumb mixture and roll with your fingers to coat. Next, dunk BACK into the egg mixture, and then back into the breadcrumbs before transferring to a plate. This double coating ensures the cheese stays inside the super crispy crust and doesn’t leak out into the hot oil.

Place the entire plate of coated mozzarella bites into the refrigerator to let the cheese chill, and the coating set, 20-30 minutes.

When it’s time to eat add enough high heat cooking oil (I used organic canola) to come 2″ up the side of a heavy bottomed pot or cast iron skillet then turn the heat to just a touch above medium. Heat until the oil reaches 365 degrees then add the bites to the hot oil using a spider, being careful to not overcrowd the pot. Fry until golden brown, about 30 seconds, then scoop the bites onto a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with salt. That’s it!! I got through all 36 bites this recipe makes in about 10 minutes.

Dare you not to sample the piping hot, ooey, gooey bites on the spot!

Serve immediately with warm marinara sauce then try to stop at just 3. or 10. or 23! I hope you love these easy, cheesy, crispy, yummy Mozzarella bites! Enjoy!

Gluten-Free Mozzarella Bites

Description

Gluten-Free Mozzarella Bites are easy to whip up at home. These crispy, ooey-gooey bites are great for game day, kids' sleepovers, or anytime you're craving a cheesy treat!

Ingredients

makes 36 bites

6 mozzarella string cheese sticks, each cut into 6 bites

1/4 cup gluten-free flour

2 eggs

2 Tablespoons water

2 cups gluten-free bread crumbs

salt

marinara sauce

Directions

Add flour to one bowl, whisk together eggs and water in another bowl, then add bread crumbs to another bowl. Season bread crumbs with salt then stir to combine.

Working with 4 bites at a time, roll in the flour, tapping any excess off, then add to the egg mixture and use a fork to coat. Transfer bites to bread crumbs then use your fingers to coat each bite. Add bites back into the egg mixture then use a fork to coat, and then transfer back to the bread crumbs to create a double coating. Place bites onto a large plate then repeat with remaining cheese and refrigerate for 20 minutes or until breading is set.

Add enough oil to a small, heavy-bottomed pan to come 2” up the sides. Turn the heat to slightly above medium then heat until oil reaches 365 - 370 degrees. Fry bites in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the pan, until golden brown, 30 seconds or so. Scoop bites onto a paper towel lined plate then sprinkle with salt and serve immediately with warmed marinara sauce.

Notes

Keep bites warm by placing on a cooling rack set atop a baking sheet and placing inside a 275 degree oven.

32 Comments [+]

It’s really nice one. The best part of this recipe is very simple and take very less time.
It looks yummy as well. I’m sure that I’ll try this coming weekend. Thanks for sharing this super recipe with us Kristin.

Growing up, during my teenage years, I was the biggest fan of mozzarella sticks and they were my go-to appetizer choice when dining out with friends and family. I love how simple these mozzarella bites are and how great they look! I definitely will be trying these sometime soon!

I can’t wait to try the Mozzarella bites! Thank you for sharing this recipe. I grew up in Iowa, and we had a Fry Granpappy – well, it was like a Fry Daddy but the little version and that’s what we called it. I brought it with me when I moved away and still use it often!

I was just recently diagnosed with celiac. I just saw your recipe for mozzarella bites. Can’t wait to try it. I always loved to cook and entertain. So when it finally sank in that I had celiac, I felt life for me was just about over. I was greatly encouraged after seeing your site that you have more exciting recipes for those of us who cannot eat gluten. Thanks, look forward to checking you out !

I’m so sorry to hear about your diagnosis, Vicki. :( Honestly half the battle of CD is mental. It can feel like a daily battle but I always try and focus on all the food I CAN eat…like fried mozzarella bites! ;)

I actually bought fresh mozzarella to test for this recipe but the sticks worked so well I never did! If you were to do fresh mozz I’d make sure it’s really dry (pat with paper towels,) and very, very cold. Maybe freeze for 10-15 minutes before breading and frying. Let me know how it goes!

YUM! I have some chickpea bread crumbs lying around that I can use! Knowing that Pizza Hut uses string cheese for their stuffed crust, just means that I can make my own stuffed crust now. Thank you for the great recipe :)

These were incredible!! I made these today for the first cold Sunday of the fall season and they were as delicious as your post looked. Im always craving fried deliciousness and never get to have it at restaurants due to having celiacs. These were even better than a restaurant!!

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hi, i’m kristin!

I'm a Midwestern wife and Mama of two little boys and a baby girl. After being diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 2013, Iowa Girl Eats is a place I share delicious and approachable gluten-free recipes made with everyday, in-season ingredients. Visit my Recipe Index for inspiration!MORE ABOUT ME

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